Students accused of rape get new court date

Published: Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 9:35 p.m.

Recent court documents show that Tyler Scott Garren was 16 and James Matthew Bishop was 17 at the time this story was originally published.

The court date for four high school students accused of raping a classmate at a party in December has been moved to March 1.

The Henderson County teens — all under the age of 18 — face charges of second-degree rape, which carries a minimum of 17-and-a-half years to a maximum of 21 years and 9 months in the Department of Corrections.

The victim, who is 16, told investigators with the Henderson County Sheriff's Office that she was in and out of consciousness on a couch while three of her classmates raped her at the party, where alcohol was consumed. All four of the suspects told detectives that they had sex with the victim, but said it was consensual, according to the warrants.

<p><b>Update</b></p><p><i>Recent court documents show that Tyler Scott Garren was 16 and James Matthew Bishop was 17 at the time this story was originally published.</i></p><p></p><p>The court date for four high school students accused of raping a classmate at a party in December has been moved to March 1.</p><p>The Henderson County teens — all under the age of 18 — face charges of second-degree rape, which carries a minimum of 17-and-a-half years to a maximum of 21 years and 9 months in the Department of Corrections.</p><p>Charged are Tyler Scott Garren, 17, of 140 Cow House Road, Hendersonville; James Matthew Bishop, 16, of 16 Wildwood Forest Lane, Mills River; Vincent Joseph Curto, 17, of 687 Oak Grove Road, Flat Rock; and Justin Wesley Ponder, 17, of 85 Relaxing View Drive, Fletcher. </p><p>The victim, who is 16, told investigators with the Henderson County Sheriff's Office that she was in and out of consciousness on a couch while three of her classmates raped her at the party, where alcohol was consumed. All four of the suspects told detectives that they had sex with the victim, but said it was consensual, according to the warrants.</p>